Portage to the Past column:

On Aug. 23, 1899, Constantine Woital, 35, of the town of Hull, near Casimir, had his wife Matilda, 23, better known as Tillie, arrested by Sheriff Leahy. The warrant charged her with "being an inmate of a house of ill fame," according to the Stevens Point Daily Journal.

Tillie was living with Amelia Berg in a boarding house at 115 S. First St. and supported herself as a dressmaker and a cook at Hotel McGregor.

The next morning when details came out in court, it seems her husband wanted her to stay home and "do the housework and cook the meals," but Tillie said she was "living too poor" there, and she preferred city life. After pleading guilty, Justice Carpenter fined her $15 or she would spend 30 days in jail. Amelia Berg paid the fine.

Nothing changed however, and on Oct. 7, her husband had her arrested again on the same charge with the same results. This time, her husband paid the fine and costs. He also gave her $2.50 with which to buy groceries since she complained in court how he gave her nothing to eat but pork and beans. She took the money and left for Waupaca and employment in the Gardiner Hotel.

You just never know where these things will lead.

On Friday, Dec. 8, back in town briefly to file for divorce from her husband before leaving for Fond du Lac, Tillie visited the Law office of Gate, Sinbora, Lamoreux & Park.

After shopping, Tillie and friend Daisy Clark came out of Brill's store at 2:15, and turned to go west, placing them in front of the Citizens National Bank. Constantine came up behind her, and placing the muzzle of a .32-caliber bulldog revolver against her neck, fired.

Tillie staggered back into the store and fell to the floor. Tillie bled profusely and had trouble breathing, and it was feared she would not live. J. Quinn, one of the clerks, used shears to cut open the front of her dress to give her relief.

It was thought by all that Constantine had been following her. After the shooting, Constantine continued down the street but was collared by Mart Griffin, an ex-policeman, and taken to Station No. 1, where after an hour, he was removed by the sheriff to the county jail.

He was shown a copy of the newspaper and read the account that stated he said he "was sorry I did not kill her." Constantine said, "I wonder who told them that." He was told he made the statement in the presence of a large number of people.

Just a few days before the shooting, Constantine was talking to Police Chief McGivern about the divorce his wife wanted and said he "never gave her any grounds for divorce. He would fix her so she wouldn't get one." The chief ignored the talk, chalking it up to bluff.

After Tillie's wounds were tended to by doctors von Neupert, Rood and Gregory, the doctors felt while she would be uncomfortable, she ultimately would recover. The ball had entered her neck about an inch below her right ear and the doctors found it underneath her her left jaw, along with a molar that had been knocked out.

On Saturday, Constantine was arraigned before Justice Park, with District Attorney Owen appearing for the state and the defendant unrepresented. Park refused to accept the plea at that time, in case Tillie died and the charge could be upgraded from assault to murder, and in lieu of $1,000 bond, Constantine was remanded to jail.

By Monday, things had changed. About 4 p.m. that day, the two younger sisters of Tillie called at the sheriff's office and asked if he would take the man down to see his dying wife, who had indicated a desire to see him, even though she could not speak.

When they arrived at her bedside, they found her entire left side was paralyzed, and she was in great pain. Upon recognizing her husband, she put her right hand to the wound in her neck and then feebly shook a clenched fist at Constantine. He spoke to her in their native tongue and closed by asking for her forgiveness, at which time she put her right hand in his, indicating forgiveness. The sheriff then removed Constantine from the bedside.

At 2:10 p.m. Tuesday, Tillie Michalski Woital died. After a lengthy autopsy conducted by several doctors at Boston Brothers undertaking rooms, her body was taken to be interred at the Polish Catholic Cemetery at Casimir. They refused to accept her though, because of her association with Amelia Berg, so she was returned to Boston Brothers until burial was arranged at an Episcopal Cemetery.

It was more than a year before Constantine would come to trial, and a plea of insanity was entered. It did him little good.

On Aug. 9, 1906, Constantine Woital died while an inmate at Waupun State Prison.

He was allowed burial at the Catholic cemetery.

Rhonda Whetstone is a columnist for Stevens Point Journal Media, Daily Tribune Media and News-Herald Media. Rhonda's Twitter ID is TribRendezvous if you wish to follow her musings there. You also can get previews of upcoming columns by clicking "like" on Portage to the Past on Facebook. If you have story ideas of a historical nature, email her at Rhonda.Whetstone@gmail.com.

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Portage to the Past column:

On Aug. 23, 1899, Constantine Woital, 35, of the town of Hull, near Casimir, had his wife Matilda, 23, better known as Tillie, arrested by Sheriff Leahy. The warrant charged her with 'being an inmate

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